MedWatch-Exercise-induced asthma

(CNN) -Being out of breath while you exercise happens all the time, but for some it's more than just pushing yourself too hard.

"If I'm doing weight lifting, then I don't need it. Mostly its cardio. When I do cardio, or play sports or anything like that, that definitely triggers it," said Albert Mathew, an asthma sufferer.

Albert has what doctors refer to as exercise-induced asthma.

"So, exercise-induced asthma is when you have asthma-like symptoms you have shortness of breath, coughing, tightness of the chest when you exercise or when you exert yourself. A lot of times it's due to the air coming in because you're using your mouth more when you exercise. When you normally breathe, you breathe through your nose and it's humidified, so it's easier for the lungs to take," explained Dr. Thomas Chacko, an allergist.

And symptoms can vary.

"A shortness of breath, chest tightness and more than just ‘I am out of shape.’ These are more like you're wheezing. Typically it occurs five to 10, maybe 20 minutes into the exercise. Coughing is big. Coughing a lot that's more than fatigue, that's probably a sign the lungs are twitching up," Dr. Chacko explained.

It is a highly treatable condition. Patients are armed with an inhaler and some additional medication if necessary, and there are some best practices for keeping things in check, including making sure you warmup when you exercise.